Environmental acoustical signal can range from being simple nuisance to significantly harmful to human health. It is contemplated that not all forms of acoustical signals (e.g., noise) are equal, such as an acoustical signal (e.g., siren) from an emergency alarm would be regarded as far more important than the noise from the barking of neighborhood dogs. However, conventional noise-masking techniques are severely limited in their use and application as they are known for masking all forms and manners of acoustical signals and are not smart enough to distinguish between different acoustical signals based on their value, importance, and/or the like.